Case Studies
Biophysical Impact & Wetland Assessment Reports
Objective
Retained by the client to complete a Biophysical Impact Assessment Report (BIA) for submission to the municipality as well as the completion of a Wetland Assessment and Impact Report (WAIR) for submission to Alberta Environment and Parks. The client is submitting a development permit for approximately 68 acres of land in a large western Canadian urban centre that will include residential (R-G, M-1, M-2), mixed-use (MU-1), and commercial (C-C1) areas.
Geothermal Power Generation
Objective
Vertex’s confidential client is in the planning and scoping stage of a deep-well geothermal project. This project would see water (under pressure) more than 180 deg. C (300 deg. F) brought to surface for use in a steam turbine power generator. The thermal expansion effects on the casing, surface casing, cementing, and wellhead are significant and require specialized software and knowledge to properly design
Horizontal Drilling (HDD) & Aquatic Response Support (Fraser River)
Objective
Vertex was engaged by a client to provide Aquatic Cleanup services in support of executing a Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) under the Fraser River in Burnaby. This service was required under the Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) for the TransMountain Expansion Project.
Integrated Land and Environmental Services – Pipeline Integrity Program
Objective
Vertex’s client engaged Vertex to provide engage with landowners and regulators to gain access to their pipeline right of way to execute an annual integrity dig program. The majority of the proposed integrity digs were located in densely populated areas or natural areas with nearby sensitive receptors.
Integrated Linear Project Execution (Land, Consultation, Environment)
Objective
Vertex was engaged by a midstream company to complete the following scope of work on a 50km Midstream Pipeline & Sour Gas Plant: Acquire all surface land approvals (Crown and Freehold), complete all required stakeholder consultation required for project & post-construction land owner signoff’s, Acquire all environmental approvals (EPEA, Water Act, Public Lands Act) for pipeline and proposed sour gas plant, Complete Environmental inspection during project construction including, General environmental inspection services, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) environmental monitoring, & Monitoring of ongoing reclamation activities
Land Redevelopment – Excess Soil Management
Objective
Vertex has been engaged by multiple contractors and land developers for support in navigating the Excess Soil Regulations which have come into effect in Ontario. The new regulation requires additional soil characterization prior to construction followed by a specific plan to transport soil from the site to another location regardless of impacts.
Phase I and II ESA Commercial Development Program
Objective
Vertex was retained to complete a comprehensive Phase I and II ESA program on a former industrial property to be developed into a residential neighborhood. The property was 160 ac and contained multiple development areas intermingled with agricultural land use adjacent to a Central Alberta municipality.
Pipeline Integrity: System-Wide Geohazards Risk Assessment
Objective
An Integrity Management Program (IMP) related bulletin was issued by Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) in 2019 to mandate the management of slope instability through IMPs. The objective of the project was to develop and enhance the client’s Geohazards IMP using a phased approach to be compliant with AER’s bulletin. A system-wide GIS-based assessment was carried out to identify potentially high-risk assets based on landslide susceptibility, age of the pipeline, and substance carried.
Reclamation Certification Using Disturbance Recovery Models and Remote Sensing
Objective
Providing practical and economical solutions is one of Vertex’s commitments to our clients. Conventional reclamation assessment of oil sand exploration well/corehole programs requires field assessments of all associated well sites and access roads. These field assessments have a high cost and environmental impact and are often highly subjective. Vertex’s Research and Development, Operations and Remote Sensing teams worked collaboratively to develop a remote sensing approach combined with disturbance recovery models to overcome these limitations. The approach utilizes remote sensing data and ecological resiliency factors to rank the well sites and access roads, and only sites with reduced recovery/resiliency are field assessed. Between 2021 and 2022, Vertex used this approach for Imperial Oil and received a reclamation certificate for a 29-site oil sands exploration program.
Reclamation of Exploration Wells
Objective
An oil and gas producer with operations in the oil sands region requested closure on over 400 oil sands exploration wells. Vertex and its Indigenous partner Acden were retained to assist in the management of the reclamation and assessment program. Vertex's role was to manage and execute all assessment and reclamation work in order to obtain regulatory closure on the sites.
Regulatory Amendment Oil Sands Mine
Objective
The client was seeking regulatory approval for an increase in project development area to allow future placement of overburden, reclamation material stockpiles, and associated facilities outside the currently approved operating area at a large oil sands mine in northern Alberta.
Rural Internet Service Providers
Objective
Tasked with turnkey Real Estate Acquisition, Municipal Affairs, and Regulatory clearances for ISP’s in rural Canada, Vertex saw a massive spike in e-commerce, work-from-home trends, and content streaming demand pushing internet service providers further into rural and remote areas.
Virtual Land Department Outsourcing
Objective
An Energy & Production (E&P) client is a non-op working interest partner in a large property in NE BC. The client, being a foreign entity, was looking for a company in Calgary to house its, files, manage its day-to-day land obligations and provide a Calgary address for correspondence with industry
Well360 Program at Rainbow Lake
Objective
A junior oil and gas producer – with limited staff - engaged Vertex to execute their Drilling Program in 2021. Their productive area was very remote and challenging from an execution perspective due to limited local resources. The client was required to complete their drilling, completion, and tie-in activities on an extremely tight schedule, including all sourcing of equipment, services and obtaining regulatory approvals.
Wind Farm Biophysical Surveys
Objective
The client purchased a proposed wind farm development. They were seeking regulatory advice on the data that had been collected to date and what surveys Vertex recommend to be completed. The client was looking to avoid regulatory delays that they have seen on current wind farms that they were constructing. Vertex incorporated options to address concerns that they had.
